The present invention relates firstly to an assembly of a cleansing device and one or more substantially flat cleansing elements for single use, in particular intended for the cleansing of a toilet bowl, the cleansing device comprising at least a handle with a head, while the cleansing elements are provided on one side, at least locally, with an adhesive for temporarily attaching the cleansing element to the head of the cleansing device, wherein the cleansing device comprises release means for releasing the cleansing element after use.
An assembly of this nature is known, for example, from GB-A-2 327 185. This British patent application describes a toilet-cleansing unit which comprises a handle with a head, to which head a cleansing element can be releasably attached. The cleansing elements are stacked in a holder which is intended for this purpose, and both the head and the cleansing elements are provided with an adhesive. When the cleansing device is moved into the holder for cleansing elements, the top cleansing element is automatically attached to the head of the cleansing device.
The cleansing elements all comprise a projecting lip, by means of which the cleansing element can be removed manually from the head after use. If the cleansing device with a cleansing element attached has been used for cleansing a toilet bowl, it is undesirable, for hygiene reasons, for the cleansing. element to be removed from the cleansing device manually with the aid of the said lip and deposited, for example, in the toilet.
Therefore, in the prior art there is a demand for improved assemblies of cleansing devices with cleansing elements which do not have the above drawbacks.
The object of the present invention is to provide an assembly of this nature. To this end the invention is characterized, in a first embodiment, in that the release means comprise manually actuable ejector pins in the head. In an alternative embodiment the invention is characterized in that the release means are designed in the form of a manually deformable section of the head. The use of release means according to one of the two alternative embodiments of the present invention in the cleansing device has the advantage that the cleansing elements no longer have to be touched by the user after they have been used. Moreover, with the assembly according to the invention it will be possible to release the used cleansing element from the cleansing device while the element is still in the toilet bowl or the like. This has the additional advantage that it is not necessary for the entire device including the used cleansing elements to be lifted well above the toilet bowl in order for the cleansing element to be removed. If a cleansing device is lifted out of the toilet bowl after use, liquid residues of contaminants from the toilet bowl may be transferred to the outside of the toilet bowl, the toilet seat, the floor or the clothing of the user.
The ejector pins are preferably coated with a release agent such as for example Teflon. These ejector pins can be actuated by means of a pull rod or push rod in the handle of the cleansing device. This embodiment will be explained in more detail below in the description of the figures.
If the release means are designed in the form of a manually deformable section of the head, for example, if the head is made from flexible material, it is possible, likewise by using a push rod or pull rod, to deform the head of the cleansing device after the cleansing device has been used, so that the cleansing element is released from the head.
In particular, the cleansing elements on the other side are designed in such a manner that this side has a release action for the adhesive. This means that when the cleansing elements are stacked in a suitable manner, the adhesive of a bottom cleansing element cannot stick to a cleansing element lying above it. Consequently, the operation of attaching a cleansing element to a cleansing device according to the invention is not obstructed by the presence of the remaining cleansing elements located beneath it.
In particular, the release agent, which during use is situated on the cleansing side of the cleansing element, may comprise agents which are desired for cleansing. For example, the release agent may comprise a cleansing agent or the like, for example in the form of microcapsules incorporated in the release agent. It is also possible for the release agent itself to promote the cleansing action by being designed as, for example, a rough, ribbed or corrugated surface. Other known release agents, such as types of wax, may also be used. The release agent may also contain water-soluble dyes which indicate to the user which cleansing step is to be carried out.
The adhesive is not particularly limited and is advantageously selected from water-soluble adhesives, pressure-sensitive adhesives, adhesives with an adhesive force which decreases over the course of time. The latter adhesives may be multicomponent adhesives, one of the components of which is contained in the other, for example in breakable microcapsules. During use, the microcapsules will be opened and the adhesive action which decreases over the course of time will be obtained.
Particularly preferably, the adhesive is a pressure-sensitive acrylic or silicone adhesive, most preferably an acrylic adhesive which is applied as a 50% solids emulsion in the form of a printed pattern which is cured by UV light.
In a particular embodiment of the invention, the adhesive is applied to the cleansing element in a grid pattern. For this purpose, consideration may be given, for example, to application by printing.
The invention also provides a cleansing device specifically intended for an assembly according to the invention.
The invention also provides a cleansing element specifically intended for an assembly according to the invention.
The cleansing elements according to the invention are not particularly limited, but preferably comprise water-soluble or water-dispersible materials, such as for example cardboard, paper or papier mache. Other fibrous materials, such as cotton, synthetic fibres, felt, but also foam, film material and the like, are also suitable. In other words, it is preferable for the material of the cleansing element to be selected in such a manner that this element can be flushed away by the toilet after use. In particular, the material of the cleansing element according to the invention is biodegradable and thus environmentally friendly.
Preferably, the cleansing element according to the invention comprises cardboard with a thickness of 2-3 mm and a weight of 800-1200 g/m2.
The cleansing elements may be impregnated with cleansing agents or other substances required for cleansing.
Finally, the invention provides a stack of cleansing elements in which the cleansing elements are arranged in such a manner that the side of the cleansing element which does not bear adhesive bears against the side of a subsequent cleansing element which does bear adhesive.